Australian radio station's history of controversies (From The Northern Echo)
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Australian radio station's history of controversies
11:51pm Friday 7th December 2012 in News
THE Australian radio station facing criticism for its hoax call to the hospital treating the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge following the death of a nurse has a history of controversies.
Sydney-based 2Day FM was given a five-year licence condition to provide increased protection for children after a 14-year-old girl was strapped to a lie detector test on air and pressured to discuss her sex life.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority warned the station after the incident in 2009, in which the girl revealed live on air that she was raped at the age of 12.
Despite her protests that she was scared and believed the questions were not fair, the hosts of the Kyle & Jackie-O radio show encouraged both the girl and her mother to discuss whether she was sexually active.
The girl responded: I"'ve already told you the story of this and don't look at me and smile because it's not funny. Oh, okay. I got raped when I was 12 years old."
The host then replied: "Right. And is that, is that the only experience you've had?"
In a submission to the Australian regulator in 2009, the Law Society of New South Wales Young Lawyers (LSNSWYL) said: "Overall, we believe that the child was exploited and treated cruelly by 2Day FM. The broadcast made the exploitation all the more humiliating and public."
In another controversy, the radio station said it had raised 150,000 Australian dollars (about £98,000) for a family who believed they were being given the money to help care for their disabled child.
But when they tried to claim the cash, they were instead given the names of those who had pledged money and were not able to collect more than 50,000 dollars (about £33,000), according to LSNSWYL.
LSNSWYL highlighted a series of "Heartless Hotline" shows which involved exploiting disadvantaged individuals who were offered a prize which could be taken away from them by listeners.
It said the stunts "demonstrated a pattern of behaviour that involves the exploitation of the disadvantaged for the entertainment of others".
In one instance, a mother of five children, four of them disabled, was offered tickets to take her family to the Sydney Royal Easter Show - but only if no other heartless listener claimed the tickets within 30 seconds.
In another incident, presenter Kyle Sandilands was suspended for suggesting actress Magda Szubanski, who had recently undergone a high-profile weight loss regime, could lose more weight at a concentration camp. Ms Szubanski's family is originally from Poland.
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Comments (5)
11:22am Sat 8 Dec 12
Arty111 says...
2:03pm Sat 8 Dec 12
Spy Boy says...
5:08pm Sat 8 Dec 12
st-george1 says...
Will the Australian Government give this radio station a severe dose of Murdock-style treatment … forced closure would be a start, then a police investigation would be nice too … including the Australian Communications and Media Authority who need to show the world they are fit and proper people to take the appropriate action to de-licence this broadcaster once and for all !
5:41pm Sat 8 Dec 12
Voice-of-reality says...
2. Did the nurse in question reveal sensitive information? - No: she merely transferred the call to the ward.
3. If it was suicide and if that was due to transferring a call - it would suggest that the NHS is not rigorous enough in ensuring that the staff it appoints are robust of person.
1:25pm Sun 9 Dec 12
Arty111 says...